The few months that followed after that all went great. My mood went up all of a sudden, and I actually had become really talkative and going out more often, this being because Minho had introduced me to some people he knew and we all suddenly hit it off, I was getting text messages and phone calls asking to hang out at the weekends or if I wasn’t at work. I was on a break from university right now for a few month which I was glad, my exam had went well and I had high hopes that I could continue studying next year.

Every day I would get Minho at the front door before going in and we would grab a coffee and get the elevator to our floor and we would talk about work we had to do, who we were meeting after work and what we were going to do. We would then say goodbye, get on with our work and then have lunch together.

Spending time with him was making me feel more involved in the world, before him I would just exist but have no meaning but now people were requesting my presence and people wanting me around them and if I wasn’t there, someone would notice. I never went out without Minho, when friends would ask me to go out I would always check to see if he was going or else I wouldn’t feel comfortable to go but usually he did. I found it easier to talk to other people around him because I know at least one person would be listening to what I was saying.

There was this one night we went out for a drink I had just turned 20 so I could officially go out and drink legally and everyone wanted to celebrate because they now didn’t need to sneak me into clubs and so on; that actually happened often and I have no idea how we didn’t get caught but I am not complaining. We had some predrinks at a bar that we usually drink at on a quiet night out and then moved on to a club I hadn’t been to before. It was huge! Really dark as well, you could just make out people’s faces. The lighting effects had the be the nicest thing I had ever seen, they moved in such bizarre ways and changed colours quicker than I could process at points. The music was so loud but it didn’t bother me, I forgot how much music went through my body and made me move, without any notice I just started to dance, at first my friends cheered but then others started to as well, they made a space for me in the middle and off I went, I didn’t care; this was my moment and I was going to enjoy it. For the whole song I did my own free style dancing, crafting my body in a way to make it do cool things that impressed the people around me. I felt so high on energy and on life or maybe that was just the alcohol but none the less I was enjoying myself. Once the song finished a bunch of people lifted me up and cheered “Lee Taemin, Lee Taemin… Lee Taemin” I felt like the most coolest person in the club at that moment so I laughed a smiled.

When I was put down I went over to see Minho

“That was awesome! I didn’t know you could dance like that, your body moved so elegantly but in such a cool way, why didn’t you tell me before that you dance?”

Blushing a little I thanked him for the complement and told him that it was something I’ve done ever since I was young and I really loved to do it.

“why did you go into the line of work you are now? You could have been an idol or a backup dancer, you’re incredible at it!” my smile dropped a little. Yes I could have been them things but I ended up getting a job and I met Minho and that’s all that mattered to me.

“I don’t know, I just wanted a normal job” I cracked a fake smile to hide the fact that I was annoyed at him asking such a silly question, he obviously knew that up until now I didn’t have any confidence either. I was starting to feel like one of them moody women you see that gets mad at their boyfriends even when they breathe loudly.

“well I’m glad you didn’t in a way because then you wouldn’t be here” then grabbing me under his arm and putting me into a head lock he scrubbed the top of my head with his fist “happy birthday Taeminnie!!”

As we were leaving the club I found myself to be pretty drunk, my walking was pretty off and my sense of direction as well, Minho was laughing then put my arm around his neck with his hand hold my hand and putting the other arm around my back to support me

“what are we going to do with the lightweight eh?”

“just—ju—just point me in the ri—right—righ direction—on, I’ll be o-k” slurring ever single word I said and stuttering also, it was taking me forever to finish one sentence, it really wasn’t helping that I kept laughing as well at myself but I found myself overly funny for some reason.

“I’ll take you home, don’t want you getting lost now do we?”

Accepting his request to take me home, off we went. Every turn we made I would almost fall over and then giggle when I almost did “Minnie, I almost fell hahahahahahahaha”

Minne? Really? Is that what I called him when I was drunk? I feel embarrassed every time I think about it, even now.

“I know you do haha, aw you’re such a cute little drunk, how about we sing a song?”

“YES! Wh—what one?”

Even though I was very drunk and only remember the things I have said so far, I remember this bit so well. It sticks into the back of my head and recovers to the front, and it makes me smile more than everything else has. I am even smiling now as I write this.

“Fly me to the moon

Let me play among the stars

Let me see what spring is like

On a-Jupiter and Mars”

At first I couldn’t join in because his voice totally caught me off guard but it was beautiful, shivers took over my body and my heart began to have a fit, why was I feeling this way? Was it the surprise? Was it the fact that it’s actually one of the only English songs I know? I’m not sure but my heart was going all over the place but I decided to join in

“In other words, hold my hand

In other words, baby, kiss me

Fill my heart with song and

Let me sing forever more

You are all I long for

All I worship and adore”

We both laughed at how cheesy the song is but it was a song that was very well known and very much loved around the world.

I finally got home, Minho unlocked my door and carried me into my bedroom and laid me down.

“I’ll be back in a moment” he whispered, it was 4am and everyone on the floors above me and below me were all sleeping. Minho returned to my room with a cold glass of water that he had poured from the fridge and then placed it on my bedside table

“there you go, now get some sleep, you only have a day recovery till you’re back at work so rest up and drink lots of water tomorrow okay? I’m leaving now, I hope you had a good birthday”

As he went to stand up from tucking me in I pulled out my hand to latch onto his arm

“Minho? Thank you”

“what for? Taking you home? That’s no problem haha you would have ended up lost or something with how drunk you are haha”

“No, not for that”

“whatever for then?”

“for existing”

The words just flew out of my mouth, I wasn’t thinking but I didn’t care at that moment in time, I was too sleepy and my head was a mess due to how sore it was beginning to feel and how everything felt as if it was spinning

“in that case, thank you for existing too Taemin, goodnight”

Not without even a thought, I went to sleep, a deep, long sleep.